Thursday, January 31st, 2013

Good morning, friends!  See, I told you I had pictures! 

Busy, busy day today.  Must go jump in the shower and get to work!!

Carpe diem,

J

Wednesday, January 30th, 2013

Alright friends, my iPhoto is malfunctioning.  It thinks it's importing photos, but really, it's not.  Therefore - you have no photo today.  I promise I have photos but you will not see them until tomorrow. 

I have a bit of a busy several days coming up.  I'm trying not to think about it too much and just take it one day at a time - one hour at a time.  You can only do your best, right?

The great thing about my life is that no matter how busy I am, I kind of lose all of that when I get to hang with my dogs and Brian.  Yesterday was a rough day at work coupled with 2 dog walks and  6.5 mile run.  Last night at around 9:15pm when I finally got to just chill with nothing more to do for the day, I just felt amazing. 

That's enough of that. 

Carpe diem,

J

Tuesday, January 29th, 2013

It wasn't for lack of trying, folks.  I tried my darndest to get you guys a cute photo of my wet, soggy puppies this morning.  They, on the other hand, were not having it. 

Have a wonderful, wonderful day.  

Carpe diem,

J

Monday, January 28th, 2013

Good morning!  A wonderful weekend, indeed.

On Friday I helped Sarah move into her new place down on 23'rd where she'll be staying close to NYU.  It was lots of fun and it snowed to boot!  We had dollar pizza in the winter wonderland after helping her unpack and set up her room.  Today is her first official day of school so I'm super  psyched to see how it goes.  It was also Sofie's 2nd birthday on Saturday - that's the picture of me and Sof above.  We got the dogs little dog dixie cups of peanut butter-honey froyo which they DEVOURED.  I know - I'm a crazy dog lady.  I get my dogs dog ice cream on their birthdays. 

I also have to give lab meeting today so I have to run and shower and get ready. 

Carpe diem!

J

Thursday, January 24th, 2013

Good morning!  Another icy, cold day!  I was cranky this morning and didn't want to get up, but did anyway because Brian had to be up early (what's the point of trying to sleep in when someone is ironing in the bedroom?)  It was good to be forced up, though, because once I was up, I was glad. 

I had yoga last night, and it was a night I was missing my Philly days of hot yoga.  Even though I was moving a lot, I just couldn't seem to get warm.  I was craving the old days when I used to walk into a hot, sweaty, sauna of a room at Dana Hot Yoga to be greeted and challenged by one of Lisa & Dorian's wonderfully talented instructors.  It always used to feel like a spa-treatment or something. 

Tuesday night I had a run on the agenda and it was surprisingly pleasant after the first 2 miles were gone.  The solitude was actually quite nice.  Brian and I have committed to doing the NYRR (New York Road Runners Club) 9+1 this year - which means you run 9 NYRR races and volunteer at 1 and then you get automatic entry into the subsequent years (for us 2014) NYC Marathon. 

The marathon has been a distance I've been dancing with for years now.  I would consider myself a committed runner since I quit playing basketball in college, however, I am glad I didn't give into the temptation of training for a marathon.  In hindsight, I was unprepared for what it would take in terms of commitment to proper nutrition/hydration, sleep, and a well-thought out training plan.  I probably would have trained without enough discipline or knowledge, definitely wouldn't have abstained from alcohol or late nights, and while I ate "healthy-ish," I was known to mow down on cheesesteaks, wings, cheese fries and various other things I would never eat now.  I probably would have run the marathon and been disappointed - dissuaded from attempting again. 

Now it's different.  I'm a tougher runner and much more educated about this sport.  My diet is better than ever.   I'm ready for a new challenge to find out what I'm made of.  With the 2014 NYC marathon on my mind (Marine Corps, too??), it's been much easier to be committed to getting all my miles in.  It's also been nice having a partner in crime to do it, too :) 

Carpe diem!

J

ps.  I promise in the next few days I'll have more pictures from the Park.  It's just been too cold to bother with taking my hand out of my glove to take the picture!! :)

Hi friends,

Do you see the above?  It is 11 degrees fahrenheit.  Do you know where else in the world it's 11 degrees today? 

1.  Moscow
2.  Toronto
3.  Novosibirsk
4.  Stockholm

No seriously, you can look it up. 

So, I don't have a picture because I was too cold to take my hand out of my glove to snap one. 

I had on 3 layers + a heavy down coat, lined boots, mittens, a neck and chin warmer, a hat, and had my hood up and was still cold.  My dogs, on the other hand?  They were fine.  They're so tough!  They can romp around in 100 degree weather (albeit a bit hot), and romp around in 11 degree weather.  I'm miserable in both - dressed appropriately - and with the ability to sweat!  Dogs - they're tough cookies. 

Carpe diem,

J

Tuesday, January 22nd, 2013

Good morning, folks!  I can't believe how sparsely I've been populating this blog lately!  Sorry about that - it's because my sis has been here and I have been spending many mornings hanging out with her rather than on my computer. 

Last night I let Bear & Sofie sleep in the bed with us....(just this once).... ;)   because it was cold. 

This cold:

So last night they gladly hop up into bed with us and immediately come over to snuggle me (they don't snuggle Brian - probably because he's always hot - never cold - sweaty even).  Bear came and put his little face near my face and Sofie put her chin on my shin.  I don't even care how dog-nutty this post sounds because I only live once and the dogs only live once.  So I was feeling little Bear's peaceful sleepy breaths on me and I just felt immediately relaxed and completely at peace.  There's some kind of magical medicinal power that dogs have on your soul.  I don't care that they carry little pieces of twigs and leaves in the bed with them - I don't care that they shed, or stink a little, or that I have to pay for their food or vaccinations - my heart and my house would be empty without them. 

Carpe diem,

J

Thursday, January 17th, 2013

Good morning!  I can't believe I haven't posted in 3 days!  Tuesday morning my sister woke up to have coffee with me, so the blog needed to take a back-seat.  Then on Wednesday morning it was pouring a mixture of sleet and rain when I woke up at 6am, so the doggies didn't get to go to the Park until evening. 

Things have been happening!  I had to go in to lab at 10:30pm last night, and on my way home I stopped and picked up some chocolate bars for us to enjoy as a late night dessert.  When I got home, I found that Brian had gone to bed but Sarah was still up.  We ended up having a chocolate party until about midnight, when we went to bed.  We got this brand new, crazy good bar called Coconut Rendezvous and I think Ghirardelli or maybe Lindt makes it.  It was FREAKING incredible.  Tonight we have a friend from Philly coming in late to stay for the weekend.  Brian also took tomorrow off so he, Sarah, and Wolt can go do fun things. 

Can't wait for the weekend!

Carpe diem,

J

Monday, January 14th, 2013

Good morning!  WHEW I REALLY did not want to wake up this morning.  In fact, I had gone back to bed - claimed an excuse "It's raining too hard."  In fact it was not raining at all - the sound of the "rain" was someone showering in a nearby apartment.  Every part of my body was sore this morning from a workout I did yesterday.  Normally I like soreness because it makes me feel like I did something, but this morning was an exception - I just wanted to lie in bed and not move and sleep until 11.

So, I got back into bed and immediately my brain starts talking to itself.  "You've tried this before."  You'll just feel guilty in an hour when you feel rushed and the dogs don't get the walk they deserve."  My brain was right (it's always right).  I got up 2 minutes later and forced myself out the door.  It was extremely dark this morning (and misty but not raining), so I couldn't take a picture - there just wasn't enough light.

Then I came home and made myself this recover-from-soreness breakfast that I'll count as 1/2 towards my goal of learning 15 new vegetarian recipes.  I normally make oats for breakfast, however, I don't really vary from the basics.  I did a little research and added the stuff I knew would fill me up until noon and do my aching muscles good with the good fats and protein they need.

Vegeterian recipe #3.5 -Nutty oatmeal

1 cup water
1/2 cup dried rolled oats (don't use quick cook - it's only 4 extra minutes on the stove and the regular are a lot tastier)

Top cooked oats with:
1 tablespoon wheat germ
1 tablespoon raw sunflower seeds
5-7 raw pumpkin seeds (they're expensive so I only use a few - lots of flavor - you don't need more)
5-10 almonds
3-5 pecans

The oats are low in calories but a good source of fiber - they are a better choice than bread in terms of carbs/gluten.  Wheat germ is the only nutritious part of the wheat and - funny enough - it's removed during the process of bread making.  It's quite nutritious and also a good source of fiber - toasted Kretschmer wheat germ has a nutty/crunchy pleasant taste.  The nuts provide fats - but good fats and oils, tons of protein, and they taste amazing.

You can also add some additional spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, or cloves.  I do that sometimes, but when adding this many nuts it's a bit overkill - I want to taste all the flavors of the sunflower seeds, almonds, pecans, and pepitas. 

Carpe diem,

J

Friday, January 11th, 2013
Central Park East - 6:48am

Good morning & happy Friday!  Another stunning sunrise. My camera just couldn't do it justice. 

Carpe diem

J

Thursday, January 10th, 2012

bottom 2: 6:47 and 6:59am

Good morning!  My sister has arrived - she sleeps on the couch as we speak! My computer loses battery also as we speak so I'll keep it short. 

I've been treated to beautiful sunrises the past few days. 

Carpe diem,

J

Wednesday, January 9th, 2012
Central Park East - 6:46am, 6:59am, 7:11am

Good morning!  As you can see from my pictures, I was treated to a lovely sunrise in the Park this morning.  When I hopped out of bed and checked the weather, I was delighted to find it was 41 degrees!  41 degrees on Jan. 9?  I'll take it! 

The past 2 days the Park has been quite busy even early.  This morning it was quiet - I only saw a few people before I made it over to the Great Lawn.  I looked around me, surveyed the pretty sky and paid attention to what it felt like to have the pleasantly cold air fill up my lungs and the soreness in my calves, hamstrings, and abs from yoga last night loosen up as I moved around.  Thought about how my heart has been pumping for 50-180 beats per minute for 26 years and it hasn't had a screw up yet (which is good and also always amazes me).  You ever think about that? 

The other day someone in the lab adjacent to mine who always sees my Instagram posts from early in the morning, asked why I get up so early every day.  The truth is, there are lots of reasons but it kind of reminded me of this quote from something I read recently.  "Sometimes you just do things." I just do it.  I like it.  You'd probably like it, too. 

Carpe diem,

J

Tuesday, January 8th, 2012
Central Park East - 7:15am

Good morning!  Welcome to what winter looks like in Central Park.  This is probably why I've had less pictures of my morning walks posted of late.  Sometimes it's hard to be inspired about a nice picture when all you have to look at is naked trees and weathered grass.  I'm not an artist, though, just a girl trying to share my morning walks with you! 

Well, as you all know, I'm anxiously wishing away today and tomorrow so that my sister can just get here already!  She comes tomorrow evening and I just can't WAIT to have her here!  2 days time and she'll be sitting here with me drinking coffee :)  Have a wonderful day, friends! 

Carpe diem,

J

*NEW* Vegetarian (vegan) recipe #2:

Stewed Lentils & Tomatoes - Adapted from Deb Perelman's, The Smitten Kitchen

Time to prepare: 20 minutes (then 40 minutes of simmer time)
Cost: $11.62 (I already had the curry, thyme, vinegar, and rice) - probably ~$20.00 when you factor in the rest of that stuff. 
Cost per serving: $2.00-$2.80 depending on how many meals I get out of it. 

Ingredients:
2 yellow onions coarsely chopped
4-5 carrots peeled & cut into big chunks
3-4 cloves garlic (minced)
1&1/4 cup your favorite lentil variety (I chose Padina green but French are also good for this)
1 28oz can peeled plum tomatoes
2 teaspoons salt
black pepper - however much suits your fancy
2 tablespoons yellow curry powder
A bit of fresh thyme (I used dried because it's out of season)
Olive oil (a good glug)
Vegetable broth (2 cups)
Red wine vinegar 1 tablespoon (not essential)
Basmati rice (also not essential)

Cook your chopped onions & carrots for 8-10 minutes on medium heat in a glug of olive oil.  Once the onions have become transparent, add the garlic and cook for another minute. 

Process the can of tomatoes + their water in a food processor for a few pulses (or mash with a potato masher). 

Add the tomatoes + curry + salt + pepper + thyme + vegetable broth to the onions, carrots, and garlic.  Turn up the heat until it boils, then reduce to a simmer and keep simmering for 40 or so minutes when your lentils are plump and tender.  Add the tablespoon of vinegar after 40 minutes, stir and it's ready to go! 

The purpose of this dish for me, is to be what I heat up for lunch & after work for the week.  Historically I've been pretty good about making myself something to heat up for lunch during the week.  However, I have trouble stretching it to after work snacks, too.  To do that, I'll make a few cups of basmati rice (if you try this, make sure you use a basmati variety - it should be dry, thin rice for this meal) to stretch the dish over more meals. 

Enjoy! 

*Here's the link to The Smitten Kitchen website with the original recipe
http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2006/10/queens-and-contessas/

Brian & I before the start of the Emerald Nuts Midnight Run :)

Friday, January 4th, 2012
Central Park East - 7:00am

Good morning!  Another beautiful morning in the Park.  I'm finally back to getting up at my normal-(ish) time. 

There are so many wonderful things in the world to appreciate and enjoy. 

Today I'm appreciative for the string of doormen & grounds guys that make every day brighter for me on my walks home from the Park. 
Mostly to:
-Muhammed (who has been the doorman at his particular spot for 26 years! Always tells me to "make the most of the day" He notices when I've been gone, asks about school, and tells me about his daughters - he's a great guy)
-Nick (old school Italian who always asks me about NY sports - even though I know nothing he pretends my opinions are interesting/matter.  occasionally offers to bring me leftovers of his mom's lasagne - has no idea why anyone would ever be a vegetarian)
-Oscar (long ponytailed hippy-dude in a suit - he toasts me with his espresso every morning and bows)
-Chip (Russian guy who always wants to hear about Oregon and thinks Sofie's the loveliest dog he's ever met).

Here's to good people that make your day!

Carpe diem,

J 

Vegetarian recipe #1

Remember how I said I was committed to learning 15 new vegetarian recipes by the end of 2013?  Well I need to hold myself accountable so I'm going to post my new recipes on here when I try them.  To qualify as new I have to simply have never tried making it before.  The purpose of this is to expand my repertoire of foods I know how to cook for myself so that I can be healthier and more creative with my cooking. 

Vegan Apple Cinnamon Granola:  (adapted from Scott Jurek's Eat & Run)

I eat oatmeal almost every day for breakfast so I thought this would be a great addition to top my oatmeal with.  You might want to play with this a bit because my measurements are not exact.

4 cups of whole rolled oats (soak 2-5 hours or overnight)
2 cups pecans (leave whole or chop - i prefer whole)
2 cups almonds (leave whole or chop - i prefer whole)
1 apple cored and sliced (i used honeycrisp)
1/2 cup wheat germ
2-3 generous tablespoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon cloves
3-4 tablespoons honey or maple syrup or agave syrup (i used honey)
1/2 cup  dried, unsweetened coconut flakes
1/4 cup sunflower seeds

process the drained, soaked oats with the apple, spices, honey, and wheat germ in a food processor for about a minute - scrape the walls once in awhile. 

Mix in a big bowl with the nuts, sunflower seeds, and coconut.  Lightly grease 2 cookie trays and spread the mixture thinly on the bottom.  Bake at 250 for 2-4 hours (I know...it's a commitment) turning, breaking up, and stirring around the granola so it bakes evenly. 

*Note - this is not your typical store-bought granola.  The very first thing I noticed was how extraordinarily sweet store-bought granola is in comparison to this stuff.  This granola is just my type - nutty, very earthy, cinnamony, and almost has a popcorn like thing going for it.  It's a perfect topping for my oatmeal and a good snack throughout the day. 

Wednesday, January 2nd, 2012

Good morning!  Lots to tell you about, folks!  The top 2 pictures show Brian and I ushering in 2013 by running the New York Road Runner's Emerald Nuts Midnight Run.  It started at 10pm on New Year's Eve in the Park - we didn't go over then because we were afraid we'd get really cold, but we went about an hour early for music & the major party scene that was bumping.  Roughly 10,000 runner's competed in the run.   It's also a costume theme run so it was really colorful and spirited.  Lots of happy people.   It was INSANE.  It was a 4 mile run that started on the bridge of the 72nd street traverse.  It's not a super competitive run - you don't get a chip time or anything - but with 10,000 people you're supposed to go to the corral with your pace group.  They had big signs up for 7min/mile and Brian and I headed over.  Only the thing was, when we entered the front of the corral, they pushed everyone up by about 50 yards.  Before we knew it, we were literally at the start of the race in the 5min/mile pace group (basically elite runners).  We were kind of awkwardly looking around, hoping we weren't going to slow anyone down when we noticed there were a lot of people who didn't look like 5 minute milers.  Normally you would catch a lot of grief for getting into the wrong corral - people take this stuff seriously, but there really weren't many elite runners in this race because it wasn't chip timed.  So we got a great show being at the front. 

They had a guy come out and sing Frank Sinatra's New York and we danced around in the corral.  Then we counted down to midnight, Bri and I smooched, and then there were fireworks and sparklers and the race started.  It was an incredible atmosphere - I'm so happy I did the run.  As per usual, even though the race wasn't timed carefully, I wanted to beat Brian and he wanted to beat me.  I kept a really fast pace (for me) for the first half of the run and Brian thought I was trying to push him (I felt like I was just trying to keep up with him). We stayed even for the whole race until the end when he suggested we cross the line together to start 2013.  I agreed (mainly b/c I knew he could have turned it on at the end to beat me in the last 100 yards) :) 

We crossed together with a time of around 29 minutes (roughly a 7:15 min/mile pace -  though I think our chip time would have been a bit faster).  There were drunk people EVERYWHERE giving us boozy high-fives.  When we turned onto the west side as we crested one of the hills the fireworks were in their finale and we had a great view.  It was seriously awesome. We waited with our friend's girlfriend while our friend finished the race (a big accomplishment for him - he hadn't done a race longer than 5k yet and had a lingering foot issue).   After the race we toasted with champagne back at our place and watched the Dick Clark Rockin' New Year's Eve show with the pups.  I ate brownies and ice cream and then fell asleep a bit after 3am.   

In other news, we had a cold morning today!  The bottom photo I took this morning in the Park of the frozen Conservatory Pond.  It read 21 degrees this morning.  I've still got a ways to go until it's down in the teens and single digits.  Time to break out the tights under my jeans thing. 

Finally - you may notice that I'm currently typing this blog instead of sitting on a plane to go to Oregon.  I ended up cancelling my flight last minute.  I really want to save my travel funds for a time when my parents will be there - so I'll be out probably at the end of March or during April. 

HAPPY NEW YEAR'S, FRIENDS!  Make 2013 the best year yet!!

Carpe diem,

J